The invention pertains to a rotatable stopcock for a plug-type coupling having a connector for connecting fluid lines and a mounting hole that is situated along the extension of one of the two lines and operates to receive a tube that is connected to the stopcock. The tube is provided with a through-bore that is angled by 90xc2x0 in order to connect the coupling housing to the connector, wherein the pin is sealed relative to the mounting hole of the coupling housing directly behind the through-bore by means of a ring seal and provided with a turning knob that can be fixed relative to the coupling housing in the axial direction of the mounting hole.
A stopcock of this type is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,545, and is used in connection with a connector and a perpendicular outgoing line. In this case, the tube is fixed in the axial direction of the mounting hole by means of a sleeve and a union nut and protrudes from the sleeve with a flattened cylindrical rod. A turning knob is attached to this rod and fixed thereon by means of a screw.
Consequently, this stopcock consists of many individual parts that need to be assembled and connected to the housing of the connector in order to ensure that the stopcock is able to fulfill its intended function. However, this assembly and connection process is associated with high production and assembly costs.
With reference to plug-type couplings for fluid lines that convey fuel, it is particularly important to interrupt the fuel flow by means of a stopcock before the coupling is disengaged. Although this could, in principle, be achieved by utilizing a conventional shut-off valve, this would also require a large number of individual parts, as well as their assembly.
The present invention is based on the objective of developing a stopcock for a plug-type coupling which can be inexpensively manufactured, as well as easily handled and mounted in the mounting hole of the plug-type coupling.
According to the invention, this objective is attained due to the fact that the housing wall on the mounting hole contains a peripheral flange, and the fact that two opposing ring segments are integrally formed onto the end wall of the turning knob. The ring segments extend concentrically to the outer wall and are provided with inwardly directed detent catches that positively engage behind the flange ring after elastically expanding the ring segments during the insertion of the tube into the mounting hole.
Due to the design of the housing of the plug-type coupling and the integrated stopcock, the fluid flow through the plug-type coupling can be rapidly and reliably interrupted and released again in an equally simple fashion. The tube also is reliably positioned in the mounting hole by the ring segments and, in particular, their engagement behind the flange ring of the coupling.
In order to ensure that the turning knob can be easily taken hold of and turned, the ring segments on the outer wall are usually knurled or ribbed. To reliably fix the turning knob in the open position, it is, according to another embodiment of the invention, proposed that a detent limb with two inwardly protruding detent teeth that extend past the outer wall be arranged between the two ring segments, such that the detent teeth cooperate with a detent notch integrally formed onto the outer wall of the coupling housing in such a way that the turning knob is locked in the open position of the stopcock.